Travels in North America. 227 



that fometimes the Number Nine wins the Game. They added, 

 that there was as much vSkill as Hazard in this Game, and that the 

 Savages are great Sharpers in this as weli as in ail other Games ; 

 and that they are fo eager at it, that they play whole Days and 

 Nights, and fometimes do not leave oix playing till they âre 

 quite naked, and have nothing more to lofe. They have another 

 Game, at which they do not play for any Thing, but merely for 

 Diverfion; but it has almoft always fome bad Confequences 

 with Refped to their Manners. 



As foon as it is Night, they fet up in the Middle of a great 

 Another Game ^^^^^ feveral Polls in a Ring, in the Midft 

 are their Inftruments of Muiic : They place 

 on each Poil a Packet of Down, and which mull be each of a 

 different Colour. The young People of both Sexes> mingled 

 together, dance round about thefe Polls : The young Women 

 have alfo Down of the Colour they like. From Time to Time 

 a young Man ileps out of the Ring, and goes to take from a 

 Poll fome Down of the Colour which he knows his Miftrefs 

 likes, and putting it upon his Head, he dances round her, and 

 by a Sign appoints her a Place of Rendezvous. When the 

 Dance is over, the Feall begins, and lalls all Day : At Night 

 every one retires, and the young Women manage Matters fd 

 well, that in Spite of the Vigilance of their Mothers, they go to 

 the Place of AlTignation. 



The Miamis have two Games more, the firll of which isi 

 called the Game of the Bat, They play at it with a Ball, and 

 Sticks bent and ending in a Kind of Racket. They fet up 

 two Polls, which ferve for Bounds, and which are diitant from 

 each other according to the Number of Players. For Inilance^ 

 if they are eighty, there is half a League Diflance between tha 

 Polls. The Players are divided into two Bands, which have eacH 

 their Poll Î Their Bufinefs is to ftrike the Ball to the Poll of 

 the adverfe Party without letting it fall to the Ground, and 

 without touching it with the Hand, for in either of thefe Caf^ 

 they lofe the Game, unlefs he who makes the Fault repairs w 

 by flriking the Ball at one Blow to the Poll, which is often im- 

 polTible. Thefe Savages are fo dexterous at catching the Ball 

 with their Bats, that fometimes one Game will lail many Days 

 together. 



The fécond Game is much like the former, tut is not fo dan- 

 gerous* They mark out two Bounds, as in the firft, and the 

 Flayers occupy all the Space between. He that i^s to begin^ 

 throws a Bali up in the Air as perpendicularly as poffible, that 

 he may catch it the better, and throw it towards the Bounds. 

 All the others have their Hands lifted up, and he that catches 

 the Ball repeats the fame, or throws the Btll to one of his Band 



Gg 2 that 



